As an enterprising young teenager, Steve McInnis took money he had been saving from his newspaper route and purchased a ladder. He then began offering gutter cleaning and window washing services to local residents. This entrepreneurial spirit continued when he joined his family’s sanitation business at the age of 15. Striking out on his own 20 years later, Steve McInnis founded River City Disposal, one of several sanitation and cleaning companies established or acquired by Steve McInnis. Subsequently, he expanded his business with River City Environmental, which grew from 6 workers to over 50.
River City Environmental handles removal of waste materials and works to contain damage during events such as flooding. Early in its development, River City Environmental worked with other local companies to pioneer large-scale recycling of construction and industrial materials.
In addition to his environmental philosophy, Steve McInnis is dedicated to exemplary customer service. This means that River City Environmental will often go above and beyond the mere completion of a job, providing fast service with as little disruption to involved businesses as possible.
Examples of River City Environmental’s work include assisting the Multnomah County Sheriff when a boat exploded at a dock on the Columbia River. It also helped with a grease backup at a local Costco that would have otherwise necessitated store closure while it was cleaned. In another case, a concrete company poured 10 cubic yards of concrete down a city manhole at the beginning of a 3-day weekend. River City Environmental worked through the holiday weekend and for an additional several days breaking up and removing the concrete. River City Environmental was also called in to help local hotels The Red Lion Inn, Doubletree, and Doubletree Hotel at the Quay when the Columbia River flooded. Devising a variety of ingenious methods in the moment and by dint of sheer persistence and a refusal to admit defeat, Steve McInnis and River City Environmental prevented extensive damage to the hotels.
